Al-Azizia and Flagship investment cases: SC gives ‘final’ extension to wrap up references against Sharif family

LAHORE: The Supreme Court on Monday granted ‘final’ extension of three weeks to the accountability court No-II at Islamabad to wrap up two references –Al-Azizia and Flagship Investment-- against Sharif family.

A two-member bench, headed by the Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Mian Saqib Nisar, made it clear that no further extension would be granted and the trial court would have to conclude both the trials before the expiry of the deadline. The Supreme Court had initially set a six-month deadline to conclude the four corruption references against the Sharif family. The trial against the Sharif family started on September 14, 2017. The trial judge, Arshad Malik, had filed an application seeking extension in the deadline pleading that the references were about to conclude. However, he said, it was not possible to close the trial within the deadline previously given by the apex court.

During the proceedings, the deposed prime minister Nawaz Sharif’s counsel, Khawaja Haris, requested the bench to extend the deadline given to wrap up the cases of Al-Azizia and Flagship. The SC accepted his request and gave time to conclude the case against the Sharifs.